


On the creature scratches (it doesn’t know how to get out)

by dearericbittle (dutchmoxie)



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Happy Ending, Love and Monsters AU, M/M, Oblivious Stiles Stilinski, POV Stiles Stilinski, Pack Feels, Pining Derek Hale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:39:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27181232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dutchmoxie/pseuds/dearericbittle
Summary: The world ended seven years ago, and Stiles has spent seven days on the surface trying to track down a girl who is never going to be the love of his life. But is he actually as unloved as he seems to think he is?
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 62
Kudos: 282





	On the creature scratches (it doesn’t know how to get out)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fairydustedtheory](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairydustedtheory/gifts).



> Look, I watched Love & Monsters (blame Audrey for providing the link), and then I started speculating about an AU (blame Audrey for speculating with me). And then I decided to write a bit of that AU (blame Audrey for not discouraging me enough). 
> 
> This is both a lot like the movie and nothing at all like it, so... This might make more sense if you've seen the movie, and it might spoil some things. But also it doesn't... So. Yeah.

Stiles has just been through the most hellish week of his life. And like, that’s saying something, seeing as he was only sixteen when the world ended – seven years ago – and the world’s kind of been a hellscape since.

Still, eighty plus miles of traveling on the surface is probably the most terrifying thing he’s ever done. Especially since he was alone almost the entire time, with just a big black dog for company. The best dog. The best boy, who’s both saved his miserable life and put him in danger with an errant bark. The dog who helped him through those seven days of hell.

But that’s all the past now, because he’s with Lydia now. With the love of his life.

Except… Lydia has a colony of her own to look after, and with all of these old people… They rely on her quite a lot, and now that they are preparing for a move.

Lydia doesn’t have time for him. She doesn’t even want him here, because he was dumb enough not to even ask her before he left. Because he’s still that dumbass sixteen-year-old who believes that one day Lydia will appreciate everything about him, if he just proves to her that he isn’t just the dweeb she knew in high school.

He’s still that dweeb though. Just with a bit more monster experience.

“I’m a badass,” he tells himself as he stares at his map some more.

It’s still the same, still ridiculously unclear even with his own additions and amendments. It’s still the same except when he tries to fold it in properly, he notices a line of text he never noticed before. A line of text he could have sworn wasn’t there before.

_Don’t forget about your Catwoman. I’ll miss you, Batman – ER_

He really shouldn’t be surprised that Erica decided to leave a little memento, reminding Stiles that she’s the fiercest woman he’s ever known and that he’s pretty much lost without her. She’s the best partner in crime he’s had over the past seven years, and even though the walls of their bunker are not as thick as he’d like them to be and he knows far too much about what she and Boyd get up to between the sheets… He still loves her.

Maybe he lost sight of that a bit in his pursuit of Lydia.

And it’s not just Erica that he lost sight of. It’s not just Erica who left a message, apparently. Because apparently his companions don’t just think he’s the wastrel who can’t do anything useful except make decent soup (that mostly involves reheating shit). Apparently they like him even though he’s still a dweeb who can barely protect himself.

_If you die on your way there, I’ll kill you myself – Cora_

That’s definitely the most unexpected one. Like, Cora doesn’t like him, for some reason. She used to be pretty fine with him. Like, he saved her life with mouth-to-mouth at one point, and she was pretty grateful at the time. But then she got weird and started dating Isaac.

Not that Stiles would want to date Cora like ever. She’s not… the love of his life.

Neither is Lydia, though, which kind of makes him re-evaluate some of his life choices.

_She’d better be worth it – Isaac_

_Come home soon – Kira_

_Don’t get killed just so you can get laid. Come back and die a virgin - Malia_

_I can’t believe I’m saying this. Come back to me. Please – D_

Danny? Seriously, this is what Danny has to say to him? Like, Stiles has never gotten any vibes off Danny at all. He’s pretty sure that Danny has been trying to get his flirt on with that guy Ethan that didn’t join them until like a year ago, after he bailed on his own crew.

Stiles asked him if he stole food, and Ethan was super offended. Though Stiles knows what that’s like now, and Ethan’s fury makes a bit more sense to him now.

In more than one way, if Danny apparently has been hiding some feelings. For Stiles.

“Danny likes me?” Stiles has to repeat that to himself. “Danny? Me?”

Sure, Danny is attractive. Literally no one would dispute that. Malia is strictly into girls (which she only figured out after she and Stiles kissed – awkward) and she still knows to appreciate and acknowledge the beauty that is Danny. It’s probably the dimples.

The dimples don’t really do anything for Stiles though. Like, not in the way Danny would probably want them to, if he wants Stiles to come back to him.

Except, maybe he doesn’t? There’s one message he missed before.

_Derek is in love with you – Danny_

Now that’s just even more ridiculous. Except there are only two people in their bunker whose names start with the letter D. Danny Mahealani and Derek Hale – Cora’s brother, he of the murderous eyebrows and the endless eye rolls when he has to spend too much time with Stiles. Which doesn’t sound like proof that Derek is in love with him, but well, he’s been in a bunker with Derek for seven years now.

Of course this is how Derek shows his feelings – by burrowing further into denial and pretending he’s still the gruff asshole he was when Stiles was a dumb sixteen year old about to discover that the end of the world is the perfect time to stop lying to himself about being strictly into girls. Of course Derek would act like a constipated dick about it.

That’s about enough evidence that Derek is actually in love with Stiles. That and, well, Danny wouldn’t lie to him. Not about something like this.

So he fiddles with the radio, trying to get the signal working for at least a few minutes. He needs to tell his family that he’s still alive, and that he’s coming back for them.

He doesn’t belong here.

“Hello?” Stiles starts rambling as soon as he makes contact. “Anyone here? Danny? Radio maestro? Hell, I’d even take Isaac at this point.”

Look, that’s just how Stiles and Isaac communicate, and everyone knows it. If they’re not ragging on each other about something, there is something terribly wrong with either of them – or both of them. Isaac’s the asshole little brother Stiles never wanted, but has mostly come to terms with at this point. Reluctantly.

Shit, they will basically _be_ brothers if Stiles and Derek become a thing.

“Stiles?” Danny’s voice still kind of sounds like sunshine.

“Hey Danny,” Stiles is just so relieved that his friends are still there, still okay.

Or at least Danny is. He’s really fucking hoping that it’s not just Danny, that the rest of their little – or not so little – pack is still in one piece. And maybe he’s a little more worried about Derek now than he would have been last week, but there’s a whole world of possibilities that has just opened up for him and Stiles is game for all of them, as long as Derek is right there with him. Potentially making out with him.

Yeah, that weird doubt he had about Danny? Definitely not there about Derek.

“Guys, it’s Stiles,” Danny shouts loudly into the mic, and Stiles winces.

Still, it’s surprising that Danny is showing this level of excitement. It’s surprisingly sweet, or it will be for a few seconds until Danny starts hinting far too obviously at the map and how not subtle Stiles is. Because if he’s learned one thing, it’s that Danny knows everything.

Always.

There’s a lot of background noise, and some mumbling that he doesn’t immediately recognize, but it sounds like there are multiple people around and they’re excited to hear from him after a week-long absence. It’s more than he expected to get.

“Stiles!” He’d recognize Erica’s voice anywhere. “You’re alive.”

Catwoman, his partner in crime! Of course Erica is okay – she can get through anything. She’s one of their best fighters, and not just because she and Boyd have almost gotten to the point where they can read each other’s minds. Erica and Cora are fucking lethal, and so are Malia and Kira. Women just get shit done.

Not that Derek is a slouch, because he’s so strong and capable and okay maybe Stiles hasn’t been completely unaware of his appeal.

“And mostly in one piece too,” Stiles jokes, because he’s good at self-deprecation. “I have had a wild fucking week, but I made it. I even made friends along the way.”

Perhaps he will see them again someday. He certainly hopes so.

“And I have a dog now,” Stiles is definitely claiming Boy forever.

“A dog?” Isaac is around, apparently, and already in love with the dog. “An actual dog?”

Yep, Isaac is definitely going to try to steal his dog when Stiles comes back. Well, Stiles will invite him to fucking try, even though he knows that it won’t work. Him and Boy have a special connection, they’re buddies now. Isaac will never catch up.

“What about your girl?” Danny then asks, and Stiles just… stops.

There is someone he wants to talk to in private, someone he wants to explain the Lydia situation to in full. If they’re ever going to have a shot at this. Stiles wants that shot, really fucking badly, but if Derek doesn’t… Well, Stiles has a week’s journey to process that while he makes his way back home. Because there’s no way he’s not coming back.

Regardless of what Derek decides about that shot.

“Is Derek around?” Stiles just has to ask, unsure of where to go from here.

“Yes,” the man himself answers almost immediately.

Okay, so while Stiles did not think that this was going to be easy, it’s suddenly a whole lot harder to actually say any of it when he knows that Derek is listening to his every word. That he’s talking directly to Derek – even though he can’t tell if the rest of their family is still listening in. They probably are, the nosy bastards.

Derek is the one who matters right now, though.

“Are you okay?” Stiles questions before he can even think of anything else.

“I’m fine,” Derek grumbles a little. “Not as good at making soup as you, apparently.”

Stiles can feel his heart absolutely pounding in his chest, because Derek appreciates the dumb shit he’s been doing for their pack. Because even though Stiles is just heating up cans of soup, there’s skill to that too, and perfect Derek doesn’t have it. So maybe Stiles isn’t dispensable, and maybe Derek actually wants Stiles to come back.

“Not everyone can have my mad skills,” Stiles is definitely grinning like a fool.

It’s kind of pathetic, but he’s so happy. His friends are alive and relatively safe (or as safe as they can be in this crazy world), and there’s this wonderful guy who appreciates Stiles just the way he is, lack of combat skills and all. Though he’s gotten a lot better.

“That’s not what I’d call it,” Derek huffs.

That’s the denial talking, Stiles just knows it. Especially because he knows what it sounds like when Derek is trying to suppress one of those smiles of his. One of those smiles that shows his dumb bunny teeth and could literally power their entire bunker – one of those smiles that has made Stiles feel warm and fuzzy inside for seven years now.

Derek’s smiles are a gift, and because Stiles has spent the past seven years with him, he’s been granted multiple of those gifts. Because he knows Derek, and Derek knows Stiles, and they may bicker about dumb shit, but this is still more than just a fantasy from the world before that he’s been clinging to. This is something real. Or it could be.

If only Stiles would just open up his dumb mouth and say something already.

That’s not usually something he struggles with.

“I’m not in love with Lydia,” Stiles just blurts it out. “It was just dumb teenage stuff and she’s still pretty freaking amazing, but… I don’t belong here. I don’t belong with her. I belong with you – all of you. Or just you, if you’d be up for that, maybe.”

The silence that follows is just… deafening. It’s like no one on the other side of the line is even breathing. There’s nothing but static. Not a single human sound.

Still, Stiles is not going to let that be the end of it. He’s stubborn like that.

“Because I read your message,” Stiles continues, hoping that they’re still receiving his transmission properly and he’s not just talking into the void again. “The one that you left on my map. And it was… very enlightening. And then I read Danny’s message. That cleared things up. Quite a bit, really. So, I just… I wanna come back to you. I’m _gonna_ come back to you. To all of you, but mostly you. I mean you as in Derek.”

There’s an ominous crackle in the speaker that tells him that they probably don’t have a lot of time left before the connection cuts out. And while Stiles could just sit here for hours until he gets to talk to every single one of his friends, he knows that he should probably just eat something, and then just grab his things and head back home.

Because that’s what the bunker is. _Home_.

Even if they do have to move, even if the attack that killed Ethan’s twin wasn’t a one-off, the feeling of home isn’t just in the bunker. It’s the pack. His pack. His family.

Though, Stiles would really like to get an answer from Derek before he gets back.

“Derek?” Stiles can’t handle the silence.

“Yeah,” is all that Derek says. “Yes.”

Stiles closes his eyes for a second and just breathes. He was never expecting a flowery speech from Derek. The quiet acceptance will do just fine. They can deal with everything else when Stiles gets back.

“Good,” Stiles knows exactly what that one word means. “I’ll see you in a week. Don’t ruin all the soup before I’m back. Clearly that minestrone needs my magic touch.”

There’s more crackling over the speakers. He’s pretty sure only about half of that made it through to the bunker, but at least it’s the important half.

Once again, Stiles is going to traverse the dangerous surface for love. This time, though, he has a plan. He has a dog on his side and a ton of good advice imparted on him. He is going back for his family, and not a single monster is going to stop him from getting there.

They’re definitely going to try, and Stiles is definitely going to be running for his life, but that’s fine. He knows now, he knows that he can do it.

Seven days on the surface are just about as hellish the second time around. But this time, when he gets back, Derek is waiting for him with open arms. Metaphorically, not literally, because this is Derek after all. But that’s fine, Stiles can work with that.

The crossbow in his own hands is easily disposed of, and tackling Derek is surprisingly easy now Stiles has the element of surprise and now that he’s all badass and shit. Stiles Stilinski, certified badass and monster hunter.

Who is definitely not going to die a virgin.


End file.
